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The Slaves
Who were slaves? They were people who were frequently captured in battle and sent back to Rome to be sold. However, abandoned children could also be brought up as slaves. The law also stated that fathers could sell their older children if they were in need of money. A wealthy Roman would buy a slave in a market place. Young males with a trade could fetch quite a sum of money simply because they had a trade and their age meant that they could last for quite a number of years and, as such, represented value for money. Someone who was a cook by trade could be very expensive. Once bought, a slave was a slave for life. A slave could only get their freedom if they were given it by their owner or if they bought their freedom. To buy your freedom, you had to raise the same sum of money that your master had paid for you – a virtually impossible task. If a slave married and had children, the children would automatically become slaves. Young children were sometimes killed by their parents rather than let them become slaves. No-one is sure how many slaves existed in the Roman Empire. Even after Rome had passed it days of greatness, it is thought that 25% of all people in Rome were slaves. A rich man might own as many as 500 slaves and an emperor usually had more than 20,000 at his disposal. A logical assumption is that slaves led poor lives simply because they were slaves. In fact, a good master looked after a good slave as an equally good replacement might be hard to acquire – or expensive. A good cook was highly prized, as entertaining was very important to Rome’s elite and rich families tried to outdo each other when banquets were held – hence the importance of owning a good cook. Those slaves who worked down mines or had no trade/skill were almost certainly less well looked after as they were easier and cheaper to replace. A slave’s day began at daybreak. If his master lived in a cold climate, the first job of the day would be to fire up the hypocaust. When his master awoke, a slave would be expected to assist dressing him. When the day properly began, a whole group of slaves started set tasks, such as walking children to school, cleaning a villa, washing clothes, tidying a garden etc. A group of slaves would work in a kitchen preparing the day’s meals. When a rich man and his family bathed at home, slaves would help out by drying them once they had finished and dressing them. When a master moved around, slaves would carry him in a litter. When a master entertained, slaves would ensure a constant supply of food and drink. If guests had to return home and it was dark, a slave or slaves would walk ahead of them with a lighted torch. The Roman writer Seneca believed that masters should treat their slaves well as a well treated slave would work better for a good master rather than just doing enough begrudgingly for someone who treated their slaves badly. Seneca did not believe that masters and their families should expect their slaves to watch them eat at a banquet when many slaves had only access to poor food. Specific roles of male and female slaves A rather tricky thing to specify, male and female slaves were often used for whatever they could; a lot of male slaves were put to work as assistants for those of trade skill. Women on the other hand, were more subject to being house-slaves, they tended to cooking and cleaning; as well as nursing and satisfying the sexual urges of their Masters. Slaves of both gender were capable of earning their freedom, though only at the permission of their Master(s). Unfortunately most of our evidence for the daily life of slaves, especially that of women, comes to us through the eyes of the owners. Conditions varied considerably according to the humanity of the master and there can be no doubt that talented slaves were better treated than their unskilled brothers and sisters, and slaves in the homes of the upper class may well have had a very pleasant life. Female slaves were at the mercy of predatory masters. Wives protested and society expressed disapproval (albeit in a very minor way), but the law was on the side of the errant husband. Monogamy was the stated ideal in Rome, but its achievement was another thing entirely. A child born of a slave by her master was a slave. The master could free his child, but he could not acknowledge or adopt it: law and society was adamant on this point. An Upper class Roman family had dozens, or even hundreds, of slaves; a middle-class family would have had one to three, and even a prosperous member of the working class might have had one. Female slaves usually worked as servants, perhaps as personal maids to the Mistress or as housekeepers, etc. Slaves could not legally marry, but in the Empire many masters with large holdings permitted some to pair up. Any offspring of such unions were slaves and this became a recognized way of increasing the number. Slave families could be split up if the master decided to sell one member and not another. As an incentive some slaves received a wage and could accumulate it to buy their freedom. Some masters granted freedom in their will. Slaves who were manumitted (freed) became freedmen or freedwomen, not citizens, but they could marry and their children would be citizens. Freed people made up about five percent of the population of Rome, but since the status lasted only a single generation there were no dynasties of freed families. Slaves were never granted their freedom without also having the means to support themselves. Some were given a small plot of land, while others were set up as shop keepers and artisans. Undoubtedly a woman slave needed a male partner in order to meet the requirement of being able to support herself. The freedman or freedwoman was expected to remain loyal to the former master and he in his turn was expected to provide ongoing support in time of need. Freedom was not a way of getting rid of a slave that was too old or sick to work. Much to the disgust of lower class citizens, freed people sometimes achieved considerable wealth. Dress Code Subject entirely to the desire of their Master(s) and environment. Most Dominus or Domina will have a specific brand to prove ownership, as well as a color code for the house they represent.